Women's basketball coach Hemer steps down

Scott Hemer stepped down on Tuesday after three seasons at the helm of the Griffs. Photo: Canisius Athletics/GoGriffs

Canisius women’s basketball head coach Scott Hemer announced on Tuesday that he will be stepping down from the position, citing personal health reasons. "Going through a year like we all just experienced forced everyone, myself included, to reassess many things. For me, I kept coming back to my personal health and my family's well-being," Hemer told GoGriffs.com. "Despite my passion for coaching and my passion for Canisius and our women's basketball program, I believe now is the best time for me to step away from the coaching profession to take care of myself and my family.” In his three seasons at the helm, Hemer coached the Griffs to a 16-49 record. Canisius’ best year under him came in his inaugural season in 2018-19, when the team finished 11-19 and 9-9 in MAAC play. Their No. 5 seed in that season’s MAAC tournament is the best in program history. Two poor seasons followed Hemer’s first successful one however, as the Griffs ended 5-25 and 0-5 overall in 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively. Their 2020-21 was shortened after the team cancelled their remaining games due to health and safety concerns. "It has been an honor to serve as the head coach of the Canisius women's basketball program,” Hemer told GoGriffs.com. “I want to express my gratitude to Canisius President John Hurley and Director of Athletics Bill Maher for the opportunity to lead this program and for their support. I also want to thank my fellow coaches, the athletic administration and the department's support staff, who have all been great to work with. I am thankful for the time I had with my players and my coaching staff. They have all made an impact on my life. I will truly miss being a part of the Golden Griffin family." "I want to thank Scott for his dedication to the College, to our women's basketball program and to our student-athletes," Maher told GoGriffs.com. "The past 15 months have been a challenge for everyone and it has made all of us to review our priorities and evaluate personal and family decisions. I appreciate everything Scott has done for our program and I support his decision to focus on his health and his family at this time."